Tobacco
A cost‐effectiveness analysis of online, radio and print tobacco control advertisements targeting 25–39 year‐old males

https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12175Get rights and content
Under an Elsevier user license
open archive

Abstract

Objective

To assess the relative cost‐effectiveness of various non‐television advertising media in encouraging 25–39 year‐old male smokers to respond to a cessation‐related call to action. Information about how new electronic media compare in effectiveness is important to inform the implementation of future tobacco control media campaigns.

Methods

Two testimonial advertisements featuring members of the target group were developed for radio, press and online media. Multiple waves of media activity were scheduled over a period of seven weeks, including an initial integrated period that included all three media and subsequent single media phases that were interspersed with a week of no media activity. The resulting Quit website hits, Quitline telephone calls, and registrations to online and telephone counselling services were compared to advertising costs to determine the relative cost‐effectiveness of each media in isolation and the integrated approach.

Results

The online‐only campaign phase was substantially more cost‐effective than the other phases, including the integrated approach.

Conclusions

This finding is contrary to the current assumption that the use of a consistent message across multiple media simultaneously is the most cost‐effective way of reaching and affecting target audiences.

Implications

Online advertising may be a highly cost‐effective channel for low‐budget tobacco control media campaigns.

Key words

smoking cessation
mass media
therapy computer‐assisted
Quitline
cost‐effectiveness analysis

Cited by (0)

The authors have stated they have no conflict of interest